After an early morning secretariat meeting today, two union officers are busy preparing documentation to lodge an unfair labor practice case against Minerva. We expect to be able to file the case at the Osaka Prefectural Labor Commission by lunchtime tomorrow.

In a 10 day period, Minerva has refused Collective Bargaining three times by refusing to negotiate in Osaka, as well as trying to place other conditions upon bargaining, including the number of attendees.The company has insisted that negotiations take place in Tokyo when both the union and the workplace are in Osaka. Previous Labor Commission rulings tell us this is an unfair labor practice.

So why is the company trying to avoid negotiating with the union? After 8 years of full-time service, the company wants to reduce the working conditions of our member. Rather than give him a regular mothly salary, the company is trying to reduce this employment to that of a daily paid, part-time employee.He would also lose shakai hoken (health & pension).This would be a terrible blow to his family.

We expect the case will either bring Minerva to the negotiating table, or they will face the serious risk of losing in the Labor Commission. In a case mirroring this one, the Labor Commission has just ruled in favor of the union.